The Garda Commissioner says they'll need more than 15,000 Gardaí to cope with increased demand on the force.
There are at around 14,000 at the moment.
Drew Harris says they're dealing a broader range of issues recently, such as an increase fraud, cyber crime and anti-social behaviour.
It comes as the Policing Authority's Performance Assessment report found challenges persist in respect of workforce planning.
Commissioner Harris says figures set 5 or 6 years ago are no longer sufficient.
